Q: At a gun show recently, I saw a rifle with a stock extending almost the full length of the barrel. The seller explained that it was a Mannlicher-type stock. What are the pluses, if any, of having one of these? Seems to me that it would just add unnecessary weight to a gun. - M.V. / Houston, Texas

A: Full-stocked rifles originated in the military, where the extra wood protected a soldier's hands from barrels heated by fast firing. Probably the most famous firearm of this type was the Model 1903 Greek service rifle designed by Ferdinand Ritter Von Mannlicher. It was the basis for the highly prized 6.5x55mm Mannlicher Schoenauer rotary-magazine carbine. Mannlicher-style stocks remain popular on carbine-length sporters primarily because of their aesthetic appeal. In my opinion, few rifles are as graceful and attractive as a full-stocked carbine. Mannlicher is a registered trademark of Steyr. It's technically incorrect to call wood-to-the-muzzle rifles made by other manufacturers a Mannlicher.

- Clair Rees

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